Evangelized, we evangelize!

Y E A R 15 N. 1 0 4 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 I N T E R N A T I O N A L Evangelized, we evangelize! CONTENT VMY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD PAGE 2 FORMATION FAITH THAT BECOMES ACTIVE IN WORKS OF CHARITY WE ARE WAITING FOR YOU... PAGE 3 IV GENERAL ASSEMBLY SALAMANCA 2015 PAGE 4 WITNESS VMY, SECOND FAMILY INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL AND SECRETARIAT PAGE 5 Dear members and friends of VMY! On July 27, 2015 I accepted the challenge and the mission to serve as the International President of this, our Association. When I say our association I do so in the proper sense of that word. During the many years that I have been a part of this Association I have known many people who have shown a great love and zeal for this, our Association. The lifestyle that is embraced by the members of the VMY implies a sense of commitment that goes beyond simply belonging. Here we refer to being, that is, being a reflection of Christ and thus imitating Mary, his mother; being filling with the Vincentian charism of love for those persons whom we encounter in the many various situations of poverty and never passing over the opportunity to provide service to those persons who are in need. At the present time, we, as young men and women, are faced with many challenges. As members of this Association we are confronted by the reality that many people view themselves as self-sufficient and have cast aside their search for God. As young people we have the obligation to make a contribution to the Church through our witness and through our embodiment of the Vincentian charism. Yes, we are called to give witness to a joy that can only be obtained from the Lord; we are called to be fearless in revealing that joy and spreading that joy in the midst of our surroundings and doing so in a manner that other young people would find attractive, thus enabling them to find the treasure that we have found. The mission of leading our Association is not an individual mission but is our mission, the mission of each and every individual who belongs to this Association and is represented by the members of the International Council that is, represented by Bienvenú Fouda, Ricardo Ferreira, Rafael Cruz, and Andrew Wadgy (councilors of Africa, Europe, America, Asia and Oceania respectively) also Sister Bernardita García Ortin, DC (Advisor of the VMY), Sister María Del Carmen Pérez Gonzalez, General Councillor of the DC s delegate to the VMY International Council, Father Irving Amaro, CM (Subdirector of the VMY), Father Gregory Gay, CM (Director of the VMY). We, together with each one of the members throughout the world, share the mission of strengthening and maintaining the life of our Association and doing so in the manner that our Blessed Mother requested of Catherine Laboure. Together we can confront the challenges that the world presents to us; together we can give witness to the fact that our lifestyle is relevant; together we can grow as persons and become more like Christ; together we can be signs of hope to those persons who are living in situations of poverty; together we can achieve all of these things. Young men and women, this is our Association and therefore we have a commitment to move forward, a commitment to search for ways to make our world a better place and in all of this we must trust that Jesus, Mary, and Vincent accompany us on our journey. Yancarlos CARRASCO INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT OF THE VMY 1

VMY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AMERICA Bolivia On September 4, 5, and 6 in Porongo-Santa Cruz, the VMY in Bolivia held its National Encounter with the participation of more that sixty-five young men and women from the various areas of the country, that is, from La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz and Beni. Daughters of Charity and lay advisors also participated in this gathering. In addition to the workshops and the formation sessions, the participants reflected on the new temptations that young people have to confront as well as the reality in the midst of which the same young men and women must bring the light of God s Word. At the conclusion of this gathering the participants accepted new commitments. During the last night of their gathering they shared as members of one large family. Ecuador The National Council met in order to plan for the X National Assembly which is scheduled for October 30-31, November 1-2. At that meeting the members welcomed Karina Mena, the volunteer from the Spanish speaking countries who was spending some time here on vacation. We listened to her share her experiences at the International Secretariat. El Salvador On July 25-26, in the city of San Salvador, the members of the Association gathered together under the words, VMY, born to serve and celebrated their National Encounter. Delegates from Ahuachapán, San Miguel as well as from San Salvador formed part of the 104 participants from eleven communities. The National Advisors, the local Advisor from Ahuachapán and San Miguel, and the Catechist from San Salvador and San Miguel were also present. This was a time of formation, prayer and sharing. The Eucharist was presided by Father Angel León, CM and Juan Carlos from the parish of San Jacinto. It was at this time that twelve young men and women formally joined this Association and accepted the challenge of living as members of the VMY. Guatemala In August, after the IV General Assembly, the young men and women held a National Encounter of the Representatives of the VMY. This gathering was held under the words Courage members of the VMY, you are the desire of Our Blessed Mother! All the regions, except the western area where there is only one group, participated. The National Advisor was also present at this gathering. This meeting was focused on listening to the various representatives in order to know the present situation of the members in this country. A new organizational structure was proposed which involves the creation of local councils. During this encounter the delegates viewed a documentary which informed them about the proceedings of the recent General Assembly that was held in Salamanca, Spain. Panama The National Council visits the various groups on a periodic basis and during the month of August those visits were made to the region of Chiriqui: the centers of the VMY in that region are located in Finca Bongo, Finca San Grillo and Finca Malmito Malagueto. During that visit it was noted that there is a great distance between these groups but the members want to be members of this Association. These visits were an opportunity to dialogue with the members about such themes as team work and unity. The National Council is also preparing to participate in the Formation of Leaders which will take place in Nicaragua (Panama will send six representatives to that gathering). Dominican Republic On the occasion of receiving the news that Yancarlos Carrasco has been elected to the position of International President of our Association, the young men and women gathered together to pray (in the style of Taize). There was also much joy because various centers have seen an increase in their members. After the Assembly had concluded Yancarlos visited his homeland and during a session that had been organized by the National Council shared his experience. The National Council also organized a Vincentian workshop that was directed by the National Coordinator, Jefferson Trinidad. Venezuela Taking advantage of the participation of Yancarlos Carrasco in the VFCAP program here in Venezuela, the International President had a meeting with the members of the VMY who participated in the VFCAP program. During an evening of dialogue the members of the Association shared their experiences, their faith and their hopes all of which impels them to move forward in their commitments with the Association. 2

FORMATION FAITH THAT BECOMES ACTIVE IN WORKS OF CHARITY Every good Christian should be a person of faith, a faith that is not only lived with words but that is reflected in one s lifestyle. We, who on a daily basis are involved in many different activities and forms of service (catechists, volunteers, other ministerial roles) are called to be good Christian men and women. Our activity should provide us with an opportunity to grow in our faith: faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead (James 2:17). As true Vincentians we must ask ourselves: how is our faith? How often have we encountered Christ in the poor? I hope that these would be questions that we continually ask and reflect upon. In one of his conferences Vincent de Paul stated: let us love the poor as our lords and masters since Our Lord is in them and they are in Our Lord (CCD:XIIIb:109). This means that in order to experience the presence of God we must be people of faith, One of the characteristics of the members of the VMY is our lifestyle and the manner in which we give witness to our faith in the midst of our surroundings. We begin with the love that we have for the Association, a love that impels us to engage in activities on behalf of other young men and women, especially those who are most poor. This love, should in turn, deepen our faith in the Lord and in his Blessed Mother. Therefore, we can ask: are convinced of the fact that our activities present us with an opportunity to encounter the Lord? Such an encounter implies that we are able to see beyond the faults and weaknesses of our brothers and sisters it implies that we are able to move beyond outward appearances. Our faith must be an active faith, a faith which is revealed in our generosity and in our willingness to serve others and, in that service, to discover the face of Christ. As we express our love to others we are, in fact, revealing the love of the One who is the object of our faith. Thus, faith and love and charity are intimately related to one another without love there can be no faith and without faith there can be no charity and without charity there can be no love. These realities of faith, love, and charity enrich us every day of our existence. Faith is a free response to God s revelation a response to the God who demands that we love in word and in deed. Karina MENA Volunteer for the Spanish Have you signed up to become a member of the International Secretariat? We are waiting for you!!! We had previously extended such an invitation to all the National Councils of the English and Spanish speaking countries. We want to inform you that we have extended the time to respond to this invitation until November 10, 2015. We invite you to take advantage of this opportunity to serve the Association in this manner and we await your response to this invitation to collaborate with the Secretariat. WE ARE WAITING FOR YOU!!!! Freely you have received; freely give (Matthew 10:8). 3

IV GENERAL ASSEMBLY SALAMANCA 2015 On July 22, 2015 members of the VMY and advisors of the various national groups began to arrive in Spain in order to participate in the IV General Assembly of our Association. These individuals gathered together under the words, Evangelized, we evangelize! This was a most significant event because it provided all of us with an opportunity to clothe ourselves in the spirit of Jesus and to renew our commitment to reach out to those brothers and sisters living on the peripheries of society. This meeting took place in the house of the Congregation of the Mission that is located in Salamanca, Spain. It should be mentioned here that our Association is celebrating its 185th anniversary and the International Secretariat is celebrating its 15th anniversary. During the afternoon of July 23rd the various delegations were welcomed in the midst of a very festive environment (individuals clothed in the typical dress of the various regions of Spain, dance and much food). It was thus that we initiated our international gathering and from the beginning we were blessed with the presence of our Director General, Father Gregory Gay, CM. All of our activities were developed in an atmosphere of enthusiasm, hope and excitement. The delegates were fully aware of their responsibility as delegates in this important event for the life of our Association. Those were days of work and reflection and prayer. Each day we celebrated the Eucharist in a different language and each evening a different continental group led the young men and women in a cultural presentation. The delegation from the Middle East guided us through our first day of work. The President of the VMY in Spain, the Visitor of the Congregation of the Mission and the Visitatrix of the Daughters of Charity welcomed the delegates and then Yasmine Cajuste, the International President, officially opened the Assembly. Thus began the work of the IV General Assembly. Yasmine reviewed the accomplishments and the work of the international council and secretariat during the period 2010-1015. On July 25, the second day of the Assembly and the feast of Saint James, the Apostle, the Eucharist was planned by the members of the VMY in Spain and in the other European countries. Father Celestino Fernandez, CM gave a presentation entitled: Evangelized in order to evangelize: the Vincentian contribution to the new evangelization. During the morning and afternoon sessions there was time for group work, which was then followed by a plenary session. We discussed the urgency of engaging in the process of evangelization. There was also a financial report that was given by Father Irving Amaro (subdirector) and workshops in English, French and Spanish. The day was concluded with a Marian Vigil. On Sunday, July 26th, the Portuguese speaking countries animated the Assembly. We gathered together by continent to discuss the theme of collaboration. Representatives from the various branches of the Vincentian Family spoke to the Assembly about their ministry and the challenges that they confront at the present time. In the afternoon the delegates toured the city of Salamanca. On Monday, July 27th Father Gregory celebrated the Eucharist and the primary work that day involved the election of our new international president. Yancarlos Carrasco, a member of the VMY in the Dominical Republic and a member of the International Secretariat was elected to that position and he immediately began to preside over the Assembly. On the following day the members of the new International Council were elected and the Final Document was approved. The Assembly was then concluded. The delegates expressed their gratitude to the previous councilors and welcomed the members of the new council. The results of our financial campaign were reported and we concluded the Assembly with the celebration of the Eucharist that was presided by Father Irving Amaro. In his homily Father exhorted the young men and women to change their attitude, to continue the process of evangelization and to respond to the invitation of Pope Francis by going out to the peripheries. That afternoon some of the delegations departed for their homes. On July 29th the remainder of the delegates departed. At noon in the city of Madrid, the members of the new council met with the members of the previous council in order to insure a smooth transition. This was a day of much hope, prayer and work in order to provide for the future of our Association. Fr. Irving AMARO, CM International Subdirector of the VMY 4

WITNESS VMY, SECOND FAMILY In my opinion, the VMY is my second family. When we accept the invitation to become a member of the VMY, we must understand that God is calling us to be different. I have been a member of the VMY for almost ten years and have traveled along some long and challenging paths that were enlightened by the Holy Spirit. During that time I felt encouraged by the faithful missionary example of Mary and Saint Vincent and I was also able to encounter God as I served those persons who are poor. My local group has become involved in the ministry of home visitation and service on behalf of the elderly. This ministry with the elderly takes place on the fourth Saturday of the month and these 20 men and women not only seek material assistance but long to hear the word and share in the joy of the members of the VMY. Those are times of a profound harmony with God because as young men and women who have been evangelized we now have the responsibility to evangelize others. God has called us to be light and salt to world to be signs of hope to the many persons who encounter so much discouragement in their daily life. Those situations of hunger and poverty and misery are not only frequent occurrences but are events that should disturb us and lead us to look for ways to transform that reality. Indeed, those situations call us to engage in the process of evangelization in accord with the teachings of Jesus Christ. As part of my mission as a member of the Provincial Council of Fortaleza and now as a member of the National Council in Brazil, I attempt to draw closer to the young men and women, even though I cannot always be present with them in the various regional, provincial and national encounters. I attempt to make the young men and women aware of the history of our Association, its plans for the future, its strategies to resolve situations of conflict. The visits that we make to the families are always inspiriting and the exchange of experiences reinforces my desire to live the fullness of the Vincentian charism. Indeed we are strong with Jesus, Mary and Saint Vincent de Paul! INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL AND SECRETARIAT Rogleson Albuquerque Brito JMV San Rafael (Fortaleza / Ceará / Brasil) The Director General of the VMY, Father Gregory Gay, CM, confirmed the following appointments: João José Epagni (President: Angola), Deacon Juan Miguel Avilés, CM (Advisor: Panama). On September 27th the members of the International Secretariat, together with the members of the Vincentian Family, celebrated the feast of Saint Vincent de Paul by participating in the Eucharist at the Basilica of our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. The sharing of a meal followed the Eucharist. At the end of September, Father Irving Amaro, CM made his annual retreat with the members of the General Curia (including Father Gregory Gay, CM). www.secretariadojmv.org 5